[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO THE LOIL ELLISON, JR. FAMILY

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                          HON. JULIAN C. DIXON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 24, 1999

  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 
Tenth Edition, defines family as ``a group of persons of common 
ancestry; a people or group of peoples regarded as deriving from a 
common stock.'' I am proud today to recognize a group of individuals 
who embody, in a very special manner, the principles inherent in 
Webster's definition of family. The extended family of my friend Loil 
Ellison, Jr. traces its history back nearly 174 years and counts 
amongst its members more than 350 descendants of George Brown and 
Josephine Britton Brown.
  It is especially fitting that this tribute to the Ellison, Brown, 
Kyle, Brawley, Baker, Wright, Watson, Boyd, Callaghan, Hughes, and 
Hubbard families comes during the month of February, that time of the 
year traditionally set aside when Americans honor the rich 
contributions made to this country by distinguished African Americans. 
It is a proud time for our nation and although we traditionally reserve 
the accolades for those African Americans who have gained public 
distinction and acclaim, I would like to pause today to honor this 
wonderful family for its greatness as a family, one that is richly 
steeped in tradition and which defines, better than most, the true 
meaning of family.
  Loil, who has lived in Los Angeles since 1987 where he is one of the 
top car salesmen in the industry for Mike Miller Toyota, has shared 
with me an authoritative and comprehensive manuscript compiled by his 
niece and president of the Brown Family Reunion, Marion Joann Thomas. 
In it, Marion has chronicled the history of the Brown family beginning 
with the births of great, great, great, great-grandparents George, born 
in May 1839, and Josephine, born in February 1840. So impressive is 
From Generation to Generation, 1825-1998 The Legacy of George Brown and 
Josephine Britton that a copy of the document is catalogued in the 
Institute of Texas Cultures Library and the Carver Library in San 
Antonio, Texas. A copy is also on record with the Historical Society of 
Caldwell County Library in Luling, Texas.
  Loil Ellison, Jr.'s extended family come from all over the United 
States. Last summer, on July 17, 1998, the family held its annual 
reunion, which drew more than 350 family members. For three days, 
family members participated in a range of activities celebrating their 
rich heritage. They held a reception and dinner dance, a family picnic, 
and joined in a family worship service held at Trinity Baptist Church. 
What a glorious sight it must have been to witness the group, 350 plus 
strong, marching into the church as they prepared to give thanks for 
the spiritual blessings and legacies bestowed by their ancestors George 
and Josephine.
  Mr. Speaker, the history of George Brown and Josephine Britton Brown, 
as told through the eyes of Marion Joann Thomas, is a poignant and 
inspirational story of love of family. It is a rich narrative of a 
people filled with hope and a determined spirit to achieve as a legacy 
to their ancestors George and Josephine Britton Brown. I commend Loil 
and his niece, Marion, for sharing their history with me and convey my 
wishes that their future will be as rich as their past.

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